Molding fastener



Feb. 19, 1952 R. L. BROWN 2,585,996

MOLDING FASTENER Filed Sept. 12, 1946 RZ'BERT L BROWM Patented Feb. 19, 1952 PATENT oFF-ic E .LMOLDING FASTENER ....Robert L. :Brown,Ferndale,IMich.,- assignor .to

.zUnited-Carr Fastener. Corporation, Cambridge, .-Mass., a corporation of'Massachusetts Applicatioli'sepiember 12,1946; Serial-'No.;696,j453

The present. inventionarelatesvto improvements in fasteners and more particularly to fasteners for' attaching hollow channel-like moldings". and simil'ar' partsto" a supporting surface.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of an improved molding fastener which may be preliminarily attached to a support and on which a resilient channelled molding may be locked by a snap action as a result of pressing the molding on the fastener.

A further object of the invention, according to one embodiment thereof, is the provision of a molding fastener of the type above described which may be readily non-rotatably attached to a support, as for example a car sill.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve and simplify existing fasteners for the above stated purpose to the end that the fastener may be more cheaply made.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an installation showing my improved fastener in assembled relation with a portion of a car sill;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the fastener;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the fastener as viewed from one end thereof;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the fastener as viewed from the end opposite that illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fastener; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the fastener illustrating a molding secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings, the improved fastener is particularly adaptable to securing a hollow channel molding I, which normally includes an arcuate body 2 having spaced inwardly directed flanges 3 to a support 4. The molding is usually a transversely expansible member being made of resilient sheet material such as sheet metal or sheet plastic material so that the flanges 3 are expansible outwardly upon application of pressure upon an opposite surface of the molding. The support 4 may be any suitable support but conveniently may be a sill of a motor vehicle body to which a molding is to be attached.

The fastener member I0 preferably comprises a body portion II having a support-engaging surface I2, said body portion being apertured as at I3 for the passage of a suitable fastening.

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,..for example a screw 14 for securingthefa'stener member 10 tothesupport. The body portion ll ..-may.be ..providedwith an outwardly. extending tongue 15 1 struck: from the .body I I within the marginal; edges thereof and adapted to engage a surface or edge of the support so as to prevent turning of the fastener member Ill relative to the support 4.

The fastener l0 may be conveniently formed from a channel section providing longitudinal side flanges IE on opposite sides of an intermediate web or body I l. The terminal ends and corners of these flanges [6 are bent outwardly to provide molding flange-engaging cams or wings I! and these cams l1 slope inwardly from the outer edges of the flanges I6 toward the ends thereof. A locking lug l8 integrally joined to the web II at one end of the fastener member extends upwardly out of the plane of the web I I. At the opposite end of the fastener member, a locking lug I9 is provided which extends upwardly out of the plane of the web II and, in my preferred form, is disposed between flange supporting extentions 2| of the web H.

After the fastener member if] has been attached to the support 4, as above described, and as illustrated in the drawing, the molding may be applied and snapped thereon by expanding the side flanges of the molding over the locking edges or surfaces ll. One way to effect the above described attachment is to position the molding upon the fastener is with the flanges 3 bearing against the cams l1. Thereafter, by applying pressure on the outer face of the molding as indicated by the arrow 20, the molding flanges 3 will be expanded outwardly by the cams l1 until the inner edges of the flanges 3 ride off of the ends of the cams Il whereupon the flanges 3 will snap under the free edges of the locking lugs i8 and Hi.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that, although desirable, the cam wings I! need not be positioned at both ends of the body It]. Obviously one molding flange 3 may be hooked under a locking lug at one end of the body and the opposite side snapped over the cams Ill and under the looking lug at the opposite end of the body.

In some installations it is desirable that one side edge of the molding be positioned beyond the support, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6. In such cases it is necessary to provide the molding flange-supporting portions 2| beyond the locking lug l9 and the end of the fastener which projects beyond the support. Such supporting portions 2| may be provided by extending the body or web ll beyond the intermediate locking lug I9 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Although I have illustrated and described one form of the invention as a preferred embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereby as the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A fastener for securing a channel-shaped molding to a support comprising a substantially flat sheet metal support-engaging body portion, locking lugs at opposite ends of said body portion extending laterally out of the plane thereof for locking engagement with the inturned flanges of a molding, opposed flanges integrally connected to the side edges of said body portion and extending therealong substantially normal to the general plane thereof, the ends of said flanges adjacent said locking lugs being bent laterally outward to form molding-engaging cam body portion, said locking lugs being disposed intermediate said cam members, and said fastener having means whereby it may be secured to a supporting part.

ROBERT L. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,015,754 Koenig et a1. Oct. 1, 1935 2,108,398 Allen Feb. 15, 1938 2,187,322 Jones Jan. 16, 1940 2,201,335 Cotter May 21, 1940 2,221,124 Wiley Nov. 12, 1940 2,227,290 Wiley Dec. 31, 1940 2,306,460 Meyer Dec. 29, 1942 2,330,675 Brown Sept, 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 481,493 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1938 

